Railway journal lubricator structure



Feb. 12, 1963 J. J. HENNESSY RAILWAY JOURNAL LUBRICATOR STRUCTURE FiledDec. 11, 1961 FIG.2

United States Patent Ofiiice 3,077,369 Patented F eb. 12, 1963 3,077,369RAILWAY JOURNAL LUBRICATOR STRUCTURE James J. HennesSy, HennessyLubricator Co. Inc, 605 Guilford Ave, Chambershurg, Pa. Filed Dec. 11,1961, Ser. No. 158,284 7 Claims. (Cl. 308-243) The invention relates tolubricant distributors for railway axle boxes and comprises a pad andpad support parts adapted to rest upon the bottom wall of an axle boxand to feed lubricant by capillary action from the sump formed by thebottom of the box to the surface of an axle journal upon which the boxis carried. The invention is particularly adapted for but not limitedfor use in an axle box of the type described in my copending applicationfiled November 3, 1961, Serial No. 149,922, which embodies an axle boxhaving a horizontal bottom wall.

The general object of the invention is to facilitate the reception,feeding and distribution of oil by the pad structure. This object isaccomplished by elevating the bottom of the pad above the bottom of thesump and providing for the supply of oil to an intermediate portion ofthe pad at points spaced above the bottom of the P Another object is tofacilitate the insertion and removal of the pad into and out of the openend of the axle box. This provides for the ready inspection, cleaningand replacement of the pad, or parts thereof.

These objects are attained by the structure shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of the lower portion or cellar of an axle box ofthe type referred to above, the lower half of the figure showing theplatform upon which the pad is mounted, and the upper half of the figureshowing the pad positioned thereon.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on line 2-2a of FIG. 1. Theleft hand portion of the figure is also identified as being on line 22of FIG. 3, and the right hand portion of the figure as being on line2a--2a of FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical section on line 3--3 of FIG. 1.

The axle box comprises a cast metal upper half 1 and a sheet metal lowerhalf 2 detachably secured thereto and these parts are described in moredetail in the abovementioned application. The box is supported by abearing 3 carried on journal 4 and the box supports the axle loadthrough ribs 5 in the usual manner.

Mounted on the box bottom wall 7 is a platform, or two platform sections9 comprising sheet metal or plastic members with downturned andout-turned flanges 10 at their ends for supporting the member bodyspaced above the box bottom wall. An upstanding center partition 12 ispositioned lengthwise of the center of the platform 9 and is similarlyflanged at 13 for support upon the box bottom wall although thepartition could be supported upon platform 9. The partition extendsabout half the distance between the box bottom wall and the lower faceof journal 4. Platform 9 and partition 12 are apertured as indicated atA substantially throughout their respective lengths and widths.

At each side of partition 12 is a pad structure comprising a fabricsheet 15, such as canvas, doubled and folded as shown to form a seriesof pockets 17, 18, 19. The fabric sheet 15 forming the sides and tops ofthese pockets incorporates tufted yarn exteriors which form capillaryfeeding elements leading the oil from the sump to the journal. Fillerslabs 21, 22 of springy material such as foam rubber or similarsynthetic material are inserted in pockets 18 and 19 and hold thepockets distended. Outer pocket 19 and slab 22 are deeper than pocket 18and slab 21.

There is no slab in the innermost pocket 17 which is filled by thedownwardly extended and folded tufted yarn coated fabric. The tuftedyarn coating similarly extends down the exterior wall of the pad andterminates at 25. Spaced tapes 27 are secured to the lower margins offabric 15 and yarn 20 and extend across the bottom portions of thepockets.

The structure described above permits oil to flow directly and freely tothe tufted yarn feeding elements for the full width of the sump and forapproximately half the distance between the bottom of the box and thejournal surface. This results in supplying oil quickly and more freelythan is obtained with pads as previously used which are pressed againstthe bottom" of the box and only provide a supply of oil to the innermostparts of the pads by its soaking through the pad material, thetransmission qualities of which are affected by the compression of thematerial fibers together, by dirt and sediment which may coat the lowerportions of the pad.

Preferably the outermost upright layers or feeding elements are engagedby side members 28 of sheet metal or plastic positioned as shown withtheir margins resting against the sides and bottom of box 2. Or theseouter layers may bear against inwardly offset portions 29 of the boxcellar side walls. This holds the layers upright and avoids separationof the doubled layers.

The hollow center partition 9 and the unobstructed passage thereto fromall parts of the sump permit oil'to flow freely to the innermost feedingelements of the pad at a level only about 1" from the journal surfaceand from which it is fed directly by capillary action to the lowermostpart of the journal where the application of oil is most effective. Thefeeding elements have about seven times as much surface exposed directlyto oil as in the ordinary pad, assuring more rapid absorption and supplyto the journal. This shortened distance of capillary feeding and theincreased absorption. area is particularly advantageous during coldweather.

With the platform and upright members secured direct- 1y to the box, forexample by welding as indicated, the positioning of the pads will beassured, and it is unlikely that wider unshaped single pads will besubstituted for the more effective pad shown.

The inner end of the axle box includes an annular pocket 31 of channelcross section adapted to receive a seal or guard for dust and oil toprevent the loss of oil from the box. This seal is shown in theabove-mentioned application and is disclosed in another applicationfiled February 15, 1961, Serial No. 89,559. The seal and baffie 30permit a car equipped with axles having improved lubricators to beoperated at high speeds and dumped without undue loss of oil.

Variations in the details of the structure may be made without departingfrom the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of modificationsof the disclosure within the terms of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway axle box lubricator, a platform with depending supportsdisposed to engage the bottom wall of an axle box and hold the platformspaced upwardly from said wall, an upstanding substantially rigid hollowlongitudinal member disposed lengthwise of the middle por tion of theplatform, individually removable pads at opposite sides of saidupstanding member and including narrow upright pockets of sheet fabric,the sides and top faces of said pads including tufted yarn exteriors andforming capillary feeding elements, elastic fillers holding the pocketsdistended, said platform and central member having openingssubstantially throughout their areas for 3 admission of lubricantdirectly to the feeding elements, and the upper faces of the feedingelements being concaved downwardly to adapt the same for fitting aboutthe lower face of an axle journal to which the lubricator is applied.

2. A railway axle box lubricator according to claim 1 in-which theplatform and upstanding central member are formed separately ofsubstantially rigid sheet material and have flanged lower portions forindividual support on a journal box bottom wall and are aperturedsubstantially throughout their length and width and are disposed in faceto face contact with the adjacent portions of the pad feeding elements.

3. A railway axle box lubricator according to claim 1 which includessubstantially rigid upstanding side mem; bers adjacent the sides of theplatform confining the pads and holding them upright.

4. A railway axle box lubricator according to claim 3 in which each padhas a plurality of pockets between the central member and the side ofthe platform and the pockets have parallel sides and are of increasingheight toward the platform sides whereby the top face of the pad isdownwardly concave, to adapt it to fit an axle journal, while the sidesof the pockets remain straight and in contact with each other and withthe central member and side member.

5. In a railway axle box lubricator, a horizontal platform withrelatively short depending marginal support portions, an upstandingsubstantially rigid hollow central member disposed lengthwise of themiddle portion of the platform, upstanding substantially rigid sidemembers spaced transversely of the platform from said central member,individually removable pads at opposite sides of said central member andconfined and held upright by the same and said side members, each padincluding a plu rality of pockets having tufted yarn exterior faces,individual elastic fillers in said pockets holding the upper and lowerportions of the pockets in spaced relation, said platform and membershaving openings near the bottom of the pad for admission of lubricant totufted yarn portions of all of the pads, the pockets and fillers beingof progressively increasing height from the central member toward theside members and affording a generally downwardly arcuate top faceadapted to fit against the lower portion of an axle journal to which thelubricator is applied while the lower ends of the pockets are supportedon the horizontal platform.

6. In combination with a railway axle box cellar forming a sump forlubricating oil, a platform across the sump and supported at a levelspaced above the bottom of the sump and perforated substantiallythroughout its length and width, a lubricant distributing pad comprisingupright parallel layers of tufted yarn fabric, forming capillary feedingelements, and intermediate slabs of upright self-supporting spr-ingymaterial holding said layers upright, and spaced apart tape-like stripsacross the bottom of said layers and slabs and secured to the lowermostportions of said layers and leaving the lower edges of the upstandinglayers exposed, through said platform apertures, to oil in the sump.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 which includes an upstandingnarrow hollow partition intermediate the sides of the sump and betweenspaced upright feeding elements and open at the bottom throughout itslength and height.

No references cited.

1. IN A RAILWAY AXLE BOX LUBRICATOR, A PLATFORM WITH DEPENDING SUPPORTSDISPOSED TO ENGAGE THE BOTTOM WALL OF AN AXLE BOX AND HOLD THE PLATFORMSPACED UPWARDLY FROM SAID WALL, AN UPSTANDING SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID HOLLOWLONGITUDINAL MEMBER DISPOSED LENGTHWISE OF THE MIDDLE PORTION OF THEPLATFORM, INDIVIDUALLY REMOVABLE PADS AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAIDUPSTANDING MEMBER AND INCLUDING NARROW UPRIGHT POCKETS OF SHEET FABRIC,THE SIDES AND TOP FACES OF SAID PADS INCLUDING TUFTED YARN EXTERIORS ANDFORMING CAPILLARY FEEDING ELEMENTS, ELASTIC FILLERS HOLDING THE POCKETSDISTENDED, SAID PLATFORM AND CENTRAL MEMBER HAVING OPENINGSSUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT THEIR AREAS FOR ADMISSION OF LUBRICANT DIRECTLYTO THE FEEDING ELEMENTS, AND THE UPPER FACES OF THE FEEDING ELEMENTSBEING CONCAVED DOWNWARDLY TO ADAPT THE SAME FOR FITTING ABOUT THE LOWERFACE OF AN AXLE JOURNAL TO WHICH THE LUBRICATOR IS APPLIED.